World War II Honoree

Phillip Barnard Goss

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Glendale, California

Honored By

Preston A. Cooper

Relationship

Grandson

PHILLIP VOLUNTEERED IN THE U.S. ARMY AIR FORCE ON OCTOBER 17, 1942 AT THE FORT MACARTHUR INDUCTION CENTER (SERIAL NUMBER 19161885). HE ENLISTED AS A PRIVATE AND WAS SENT TO MERCED, CALIFORNIA ON OCTOBER 21ST FOR INITIAL TRAINING. HIS ADVANCED TRAINING TOOK HIM TO LINCOLN, NEBRASKA FROM JANUARY 21, 1943 THROUGH JULY 12, 1943. HE WAS PROMOTED TO PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ON MARCH 1, 1943. DESPITE ENDURING BOTH GERMAN MEASLES AND A MYSTERY FEVER, PHIL GRADUATED WITH DISTINCTION ON JUNE 26, 1943. HE QUALIFIED ON THE RIFLE ON JUNE 28, 1943. PHIL ALSO WENT THROUGH SPECIALIST SCHOOL AT THE ALLISON ENGINEERING COMPANY IN INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA STARTING ON JULY 13, 1943. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 394TH FIGHTER SQUADRON (PART OF THE 367TH FIGHTER GROUP) ON OCTOBER 25, 1943 AND MOVED TO HAYWARD FROM SANTA ROSA ON DECEMBER 3, 1943. AS PART OF THE 394TH, PHILLIP SERVED AS CREW CHIEF ON P-38 LIGHTENING AIRCRAFT (FOR WHICH HE WAS AWARDED A BRONZE STAR). PHILLIP WAS ALSO A CREW CHIEF ON P-47 AIRCRAFT AS THE 394TH SWITCHED OVER TO THE NEW AIRCRAFT IN 1945. PHOTO AND FURTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT HTTP://WWW.INGENUITY.AERO/HEROES/GOSS_P/INDEX.SHTML.